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(No Model.)

T. J. GILLETTE.

GAGE FOR sQUAREs.

No. 373,929. Patented Nov. 29, 1887.v

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N- FETERS, PhniD-LilllugmKP'leV. Wishillginh. UIC.

on one side and ten inches on the other, the

timber accurately-as, for instance, when it is UNITED STATES PATENT Orifice.

THURBER J. GILLETTE, OF SYRAOUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF rIWO- THIRDS TO DAVID D. GREGORY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAGE. FOR

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373.929, dated November 29, 1887.

Application filed March 22, 1SS7.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it-known that I. THURBER J. GILLETTE, of Syracusacounty of Onondaga, and State of New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Gages for Squares, of which the following description, in connection with the accompany- 1ng drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a square with gagesparticularly adapted to be used by carpenters to' accurately measure miters in stair stringers, it being also adapted for measuring rafters to be used in building, as in the root of a building, and whereby each rafter may be cut at exactly the same bevel or angle of inclination, so that when the said rafters are erected into position to form the frame of the roof the ends of opposite rafters will be matched and the ridge or comb of the roof will be made to fall at the center of the building and be substantially perfectly straight.

In the manufacture of stringersfor stairs as heretofore practiced and known to me the miters have been marked out by applying the square to the board to form the Stringer. The workman in marking the stringers is guided solely by his eye, and when working rapidly it frequently happens that the square 1s not in every case applied to the board or desired the initer should be twelve inches long Workman applying the square to the board or timber hurriedly marks twelve and one-eighth inches on one side and nine and seven-eighths inches on the other, and at the next application of the square to the board marks eleven and seven-eighths on one side and ten and oneeighth on the other. It will thus be seen that the stringers when placed in position to form the sides of the stairs are not matched, so that when the boards are nailed thereto the steps thus formed are uneven and irregular in size and shape. Also, in the marking of timbers to form rafters, especially for buildings having pitched roofs, the same error occurs, and as a result some of the rafters are given a bevel differing from other rafters or are madelonger, which will, it is obvious, result in not only throwing the ridge of the roof ont of the cen- Serial No. 231,890. (No model.)

iter of the building, but also giving a crooked ing a vertical shoulder vor shoulders at right angles to the face of the said square, the said gage preferably having two shoulders, in order that it may be used either side up.

Figure l shows a carpenters steel square with my improved ruiter-gage applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe gage removed, looking at it in the direction of the arrow 2; Fig. 3, a view of the gage, looking at it in the direction of the arrow 3; and Fig. 4 is a detail to be re ferred to.

The square A is and may be of any usual construction, it being provided with usual graduations, herein shown as feet and fractions of a foot. Each arm a c2 of the square A has fitted upon it a ruiter-gage, B, which consists, as shown in Fig. 2, of a slotted body portion, ahaving arms aprovided with shoulders a5. Each arm a a2 of the square enters the slot 2 of the body a3, and the gage i's secured to the arm of the square on which it is placed by a set-screw, b', which acts against an adjusting-block, b, which is fitted int-o the said slot 2 and bears against the edge of the square, the block b having claws b3 (see Fig. 4) to engage the sides of the body as in its normal position. (Shown in Figs. l and 2..) The edge or side 3 of the bar b neXt the edge of the square is smooth. Y

The gages may be applied to the arms of the square and be adjusted thereon so that the faces of the shoulders a5 will register with any desired distance-mark thereon and form a gage or stop.

In marking miters for stringers to be employed in building stairs, the gages will be set on the arms a a2 at thedesired division on the scale, the gage on the arm a being shown as set at twelve inches and the gage on the arm a being set at eight inches, the zero being the apex of the arms. With the gages set as shown,

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the workman applies the square to the stringers, the lower shoulder, a5, of each gage resting against the edge of the stringer, while the square between the gages rests upon the face or side of the Stringer, and when in this position the workman marks out the miter. XVith one miter marked out, the square is run along the edge of the board until the lower shoulder, a5, of the rearmost gage arrives in the position just vacated by the foremost gage, a second Initer being then marked out. ned until the desired number of miters has been marked. It will be seen that the possi` bility of error in marking is reduced to a minimum, While at the same time the marking may be done veryrapidly.

Vhen it is desired to mark timbers for rafters for buildings having a pitched roof and insure true central position for the ridge or eomb of the roof, the gages will be set on the square, their position being adjusted according to the width of the building and the pitch desired for the roof. Suppose a building is to be twenty-four feet wide and the pitch of the roof is to be eight inches to the foot. To do this the gage on the long arm a will be set at twelve inches, as shown, while the gage on the arm a2 will be set at eight inches. `With the gages in positiointhe square is iirst applied to the timber or board to form the rafters, as in the marking of miters, above described, and the bevel for the foot of the rafters is formed by marking on the board from the apex tothe shoulder ai of the gage on the long arm athe board being also marked at the other gage to form the starting-point from which to measure again. f

The proper length of rafters for the roof is obtained by applying the square to the timber or board twelve times, measuring eaeh time from gage to gage, and on the last movement the bevel or inclination for the upper end of the rafter is obtained by marking on the board from the gage on the arm a to the apex ofthe square. In this way it will thus be seen that the rafters are all of the same bevel and length, so that the bevel sides of cooperating or op- This is eontin-L posite rafters correspond and come together at exactly the center of the roof, and conse quently the ridge of the roof is kept substantially perfectly straight.

By means of the arm a and shoulder ai the square may be applied to the board te be measured with rapidity and accuracy, the said arm and shoulder forming a bearing to rest against the board, thus obviating all dan* ger ofslipping of the square, which mightocn our if the said arm and shoulder were not used; and, furthermore, the edge of the square meets the edge of the board at the point where the shoulder af" meets the board, so that all calculations in adjusting the gage on the square are dispensed with.

It is evident that the shoulder a5 on the arm below the arm of the square may be dispensed with,and the arm itseli'form a bearing-surface to rest against the edge ofthe board; but the two arms are preferable, so that the square can be used either side up.

I elaiml. A miter-gage for steel squares, consisting of a body portion slotted to fit an arm of the square, and provided with an arm, a", having a shoulder, at right angles to the face of the said square, to operate substantially as described.

2. A unter-gage for steel squares, eonsisting of a body portion slotted to fit an arm of the square, and provided with two arms, a4, having shoulders a5 at right angles to the face of the square, substantially as described.

square, of two ruiter-gages adj ustably fitted thereon, and having shoulders ai at right angles to the'face of the said arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THURBER J. GILLETTE.

Witnesses:

LEONARD W. FrLsINGER, GEORGE HEIMLIoH.

' 8. The combinatiennvith the arms of a steel 

